On Wednesday 17th May 2017, former MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden was involved in a cycling accident in Italy. Hayden was competing in the World Superbike Championship in Italy on Sunday. Contrary to earlier reports, the American was riding alone, and not with a group of friends, when his cycle was struck by a car. Although the full extent of his injuries are not known, it has been reported that he suffered head and chest trauma.

2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden

Hayden, popularly known as ‘The Kentucky Kid’ was transported to a local hospital in a serious condition. After he was stabilised, he was transported to a second hospital for further treatment. His team issued a statement on Twitter which said, “The medical teams are working hard, and we will provide updates as soon as they are available, all we can confirm is that Nicky was involved in an incident while cycling & has been transferred to a hospital near Rimini for treatment”

The impact of the accident was so much that his cycle was broken in half and the windscreen of the car was nearly destroyed. As of the latest updates, Hayden has made it through the night in the hospital. Many the riders from MotoGP and WSBK have taken to social media to share messages of support.